Researchers asked 140 people age 63 or older how often they played video games, if at all. Following the survey researchers gave study participants a series of tests to assess their emotional and social well-being. Researchers found that 61 percent of participants played video games at least occasionally, with 35 percent of participants saying they played at least once a week. The study concluded that those who played video games (including those who only played occasionally) reported higher levels of well-being. Those who said that they did not play video games reported more negative emotions and a tendency toward higher levels of depression.

"The research published here suggests that there a link between gaming and better well-being and emotional functioning," says Dr. Jason Allaire, lead author of a paper describing the study and an associate professor of psychology at NC State. "We are currently planning studies to determine whether playing digital games actually improves mental health in older adults."

The research has been published in Computers in Human Behavior in a paper called "Successful aging through digital games: Socioemotional differences between older adult gamers and non-gamers."